Walking, running and racquet sports linked to longevity but not swimming
A major new study published in BMJ Medicine has found that adults who engage in a broader mix of physical activities tend to live longer than those who stick to just one or two types. The analysis included over 111,000 participants and followed them for more than 30 years, examining the relationship between specific types of exercise and long term risk of death.
The key takeaway is that not all movement is equal, and more importantly, not all movement is interchangeable. Certain activities seem to offer stronger protective effects than others, and doing several of them regularly appears to compound those benefits.
A deeper dive into the numbers
This was not a short term experiment. Researchers used data from the Nurses’ Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study, tracking self-reported physical activity from 1986 to 2018. They developed a “variety score” that counted how many different activity types a person engaged in regularly. People with the most variety had a 19 percent lower risk of all-cause mortality compared to those with the least.
Crucially, the associations held even after adjusting for total activity volume, smoking, diet, weight, and other lifestyle factors. That suggests it wasn’t just the more active people living longer. It was the ones who moved in different ways.
Walking, running and stair climbing top the list
Walking stood out with one of the strongest associations. Those in the highest walking category had a 17 percent lower mortality risk than those in the lowest. That tracks with what most fitness trackers encourage through daily step counts. But steps alone might miss the nuance.
Running also performed well, reducing mortality risk by about 13 percent. Stair climbing followed closely, at around 10 percent. These activities challenge the heart, lungs, and muscles in slightly different ways. Walking builds endurance and metabolic health. Running puts the cardiovascular system under more strain, while stairs engage both aerobic and muscular systems.
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Rowing and strength training were similarly linked with a 13 to 14 percent lower risk. These build muscle mass, coordination, and support healthy aging, especially as people lose muscle and bone density with age. Racquet sports also performed strongly. They add reactive movements, spatial awareness, and often a social element, which some studies have associated with mental health benefits.
Activity type | Risk reduction (approximate) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Walking | 17% lower | Strongest and most consistent association |
Jogging | 13% lower | Benefits plateau at higher volumes |
Running | 13% lower | Similar to jogging; no added benefit above moderate levels |
Stair climbing | 10% lower | Accessible and easy to track via elevation gain |
Racquet sports | 15% lower | Combines agility, cardio and reflexes |
Rowing/callisthenics | 14% lower | Strength plus cardio benefit |
Weight/resistance | 13% lower | Supports muscle and metabolic health |
Cycling | 4% lower | Weakest significant effect; may reflect measurement limitations |
Swimming | No clear reduction | Not statistically significant in this cohort |
Cycling and swimming showed weaker links
Interestingly, cycling and swimming were not associated with the same levels of mortality reduction. Swimming in particular showed no clear benefit in this analysis. That doesn’t necessarily mean those activities are ineffective, but the authors note that intensity, frequency, and difficulty measuring those exercises may have diluted the observed effects.
Could too much exercise be a problem?
The study wasn’t designed to examine excessive exercise, but researchers did include a sensitivity analysis that looked at the highest volumes. The findings suggest that beyond a certain point, adding more of one activity doesn’t necessarily provide extra protection and may even reduce the benefits.
For example, those who reported extremely high amounts of running didn’t show more protection than moderate runners. The same held for resistance training. There is a point where repetition, especially without variety, may actually create wear and tear, overtraining or limit overall recovery. Something to think about before that next marathon run!
This is especially relevant for people who chase daily rings or streaks on smartwatches. Hitting high weekly goals is not always better if it lacks variation. The study doesn’t suggest people should do less, but it does hint that constantly repeating the same workout might not be the optimal path.
What this means for wearables and app design
Most fitness trackers currently focus on volume: step counts, calorie burn, minutes of intensity. That’s understandable. It’s easy to measure and rewards consistency. But this study offers a different lens. A device that helps you vary your routine over time may be more beneficial for long term health.
It’s not hard to imagine smartwatches offering a weekly or monthly “movement diversity” score. By analysing GPS data, heart rate zones, rep counts, or workout tags, wearables could surface nudges like: “You’ve done a lot of walking this week, consider adding some resistance or sport-based movement.”
Apps like Garmin Connect and Apple Fitness already track activities by type, but they don’t always give weight to that variety. That could change. Even passive prompts to balance walking with strength or include stair climbing could support healthier habits.
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